Tag: Noah Gray

Top quotes from Chiefs’ August 3 post-practice press conference

Check out some of the top quotes from the #Chiefs’ post practice press conference on August 3:

The Kansas City Chiefs were hard at work on Thursday during their fourth training camp practice of the week and showed serious progression on both sides of the ball during their workouts at Missouri Western State University.  Four Chiefs got in front of the podium for the team’s post-practice press conference, and each gave thorough answers to reporters’ questions about their preparation for the coming season.

Matt Nagy, Blaine Gabbert, Noah Gray, and Tershawn Wharton all spoke to reporters and provided valuable insight into their thoughts on training camp, teammates, and more.

Check out their top quotes below:

Chiefs TE Noah Gray on learning from Travis Kelce: ‘He’s the greatest tight end to ever play the game’

Noah Gray had high praise for fellow tight end Travis Kelce during his comments to reporters after the #Chiefs’ Thursday practice session. | from: @EdEastonJr

The evolution of the tight end position has been put into national prominence with the emergence of stars like Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro pass catcher Travis Kelce. The skills necessary to succeed at the position in the modern NFL go beyond just blocking and running the occasional route on pass plays.

Each of the Chiefs’ veteran tight ends has played a role in Kansas City’s success. The continued growth of Noah Gray has been essential for the positional flexibility of the team’s offense, which has helped quarterback Patrick Mahomes utilize his underrated pass catchers in various different ways. Gray opened up about his progress in training camp and what he has learned from Kelce while speaking with the media after Thursday’s practice.

“I learned a lot from him,” Gray explained. “I think he’s the greatest tight end to ever play the game. And he’s an excellent mentor. I mean, he’s an even better friend, too. So watching him out here [and] picking his brain is always good. But you know, Travis Kelce [is] Travis Kelce, for a reason. I’m just trying to do my job to the best of my ability and, you know, not try to do too much more than that.”

Kelce has been an advocate for younger tight ends and has helped push the position to new heights with his annual ‘Tight End University’ camp in the offseason.

“He’s just very intelligent and knowledgeable, and he’s been in the league for 10-plus years,” Gray continued. “So, a guy like that sees the defenses differently, and it’s just really cool to see him talk through how he looks at defenses and safeties and corners and what he’s thinking, you know, mid-route, so, you know, getting the firsthand take of that every day in a meeting room. You know, it’s been absolutely incredible the past three years.”

Gray finished last season with 28 catches for 299 receiving yards and one touchdown. He appeared in all 17 games showing his ability to stay healthy and step up whenever needed to fill in or take the field with Kelce.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Andy Reid reveals Chiefs’ current plans for the fullback position

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid’s affinity for the fullback position appears to have come to an end.

[connatix div_id=”3f8b015acdd24c648befc5d5dac47469″ player_id=”afe1e038-d3c2-49c0-922d-6511a229f69c” cid=”7cbcea0d-4ce2-4c75-9a8d-fbe02a192c24″]

It’s the end of an era for Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid.

10 days ago we pondered if Reid had officially moved on from the fullback position after he made some intriguing comments on Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. To paraphrase, he said that the position has been pushed out of the modern game and that few teams truly use a fullback anymore. It was a wild admission from Reid, as he’s insisted on having a fullback on the roster in each of his 24 years as head coach.

After the departure of Michael Burton this offseason, Kansas City didn’t go out and sign a fullback or address the position in the draft. Speaking on the subject for the first time following Wednesday’s practice at OTAs, Reid confirmed that his affinity for the fullback position is no more.

“Yeah, so the tight ends can work into that spot,” Reid told reporters. “We know that Noah (Gray) can do all of that. That’s kind of where we went with it. We’ve got a number of tight ends who we feel comfortable with. So, maybe you keep an extra tight end instead of a fullback.”

There you have it, Chiefs Kingdom. The team will no longer be wasting a roster spot on a dedicated fullback.

It sounds as if Noah Gray will be playing more of an H-back role with the responsibilities of a tight end and a fullback. He already does a lot of the blocking on the wings and he lined up as a fullback frequently during his time at Duke, including 10 snaps during his senior season.

The team has kept as many four tight ends in the past, but now they’ll seemingly have another roster spot available. That could either be used on an extra tight end or perhaps even a wide receiver. We’ll just have to see how things play out during training camp.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Super Bowl LVII’s Secret Superstars

Who are the players capable of playing their best in the biggest games of their lives? Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

There are players in just about every Super Bowl who, quite unexpectedly, save their greatest performances for the biggest games of their lives. Packers receiver Max McGee tearing up the Chiefs’ esteemed secondary for seven catches, 138 yards, and two touchdowns in Super Bowl I. Jets running back Matt Snell doing what nobody else could do in Super Bowl III, and tearing through the Colts’ defensive line for 30 carries, 138 yards, and a touchdown. Raiders linebacker Rob Martin picking off three Ron Jaworski passes in Super Bowl XV. Doug Williams resuscitating his career and becoming the first Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl, and become Super Bowl MVP in one fell swoop in Super Bowl XXII against the Broncos. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles helping his team win its first Super Bowl in LII.

Who could be the Secret Superstar of Super Bowl LVII? There are several candidates who, based on their in-season exploits, might be perfectly primed to take that all-important leap.

Here are the Secret Superstars of Super Bowl LVII.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce thinks Noah Gray, Jody Fortson are vital to winning games

Travis Kelce spoke about the #Chiefs’ tight end room: “As long as we’re scoring touchdowns as a group every single game, I think we’re gonna keep winning football games.”

The Kansas City Chiefs have seen a shift in their offensive playbook since the departure of Tyreek Hill. A greater variety in target options has left opposing defenses guessing after four weeks.

Travis Kelce continues to be a favorite of Patrick Mahomes in the passing game, but lately, he’s spread the wealth to other tight ends. Noah Gray and Jody Fortson have been red zone weapons through the first few weeks, much to the delight of Kelce, who praised the tight end room during his recent conversation with Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that we were very fortunate to have an awesome tight-end room,” said Kelce. “Our coach Tom Melvin does a great job of keeping us all in line, knowing that we all have big personalities and we all love to go out there and play the game. So just controlling that and controlling the creativity that we all may have is definitely the hardest part. But like I said, we have a great tight end room. We even have a fourth tight end and Blake Bell, and we’re hoping to get back before the season’s over with.”

Gray is in his second season in the league and has been featured in some unique plays, including Sunday’s direct snap for a touchdown. Fortson has bounced back from an Achilles injury suffered last season to be a tough cover in the red zone. A potential return of veteran Blake Bell will only add to the group’s versatility because of his solid blocking ability.

Each of Gray, Fortson and Kelce scored a touchdown in the team’s game against the Buccaneers in Week 4. As a whole, Kelce believes this tight end group has a major impact on the team’s ability to win games.

“As long as we’re scoring touchdowns as a group every single game, I think we’re gonna keep winning football games,” Kelce concluded.

Kelce has been the headline player from the tight end room, but he is more than willing to share the wealth. Not just in terms of scoring points, but also in terms of sharing the knowledge that he’s learned over the course of his career.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=137993]

Chiefs TE Noah Gray to attend Tight End University later this month

#Chiefs TE Noah Gray won’t be missing this year’s @te_university summit.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=none image=https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Travis Kelce won’t be the only Kansas City Chiefs tight end in attendance at the second Tight End University summit in Nashville, Tennessee later this month.

Last year, Chiefs TE Noah Gray took some criticism from the fanbase after he didn’t attend the inaugural summit. The reality is that Gray was double-booked, hosting a youth football camp in his hometown during the same weekend that the summit took place.

This time around, Gray isn’t double-booked. He’ll be in attendance as the best tight ends in the league gather to learn and share tricks of the trade. The Tight End University Twitter account has slowly been revealing some of the players who have RSVP’d to the event.

Kelce is again hosting this year’s Tight End University alongside George Kittle and Greg Olsen. He spoke a bit about the event at Chiefs OTAs in late May.

“To be honest, man, I don’t even see it as mentorship for me,” Kelce said. “I’m like a little kid at Tight End U, man. It’s just so much fun being around guys that are all working for the same thing. We’re all trying to do the same thing. We’re all trying to get better at the same craft. It’s fun just passing around the knowledge that I have, but also absorbing everybody else’s stories, what they’ve been through in their journey’s. Hopefully we get some new faces to speak this year and it’s going to be a blast, I already know it is. It was last year, and I’m pretty sure everybody is pumped for it again this year.”

Asked specifically about whether Gray and Jody Fortson would be in attendance this year, Kelce deferred to the players saying that both were invited. We have confirmation on Gray, but now we await word on Fortson.

[listicle id=130597]

Chiefs’ Andy Reid trusts rookie TE Noah Gray if Travis Kelce, Blake Bell can’t go

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid trusts rookie TE Noah Gray with Travis Kelce and Blake Bell’s status for Week 16 still unclear. | from @EdEastonJr

The uncertainty behind the status of several Kansas City Chiefs starters has presented questions heading into Sunday.

Following the news of Travis Kelce and Blake Bell being placed on the COVID-19 list earlier in the week, the Chiefs are preparing for them not to be available against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As everyone continues to await word on Kelce and Bell’s status heading into Sunday, head coach Andy Reid is getting others ready to play in their place.

The team protected practice squad TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart, but they’ll likely rely on rookie TE Noah Gray as an option to start in Kelce’s place. Gray has seen some time on the field this season, playing just over 20% of the team’s offensive snaps this season. Reid believes in the former Duke football star, as he explained to reporters during Wednesday’s press conference.

“We’ve put him in games here, so we trust him,” Reid said. “He’s been in quite a little bit, actually, so if he ends up being the guy in there, at least he’s got a few plays under his belt. We have a lot of trust in him, so we’ll just see how that rolls if it happens that way.”

Gray has only four catches for 18 yards on the season, but he has reached the endzone on a drive where the team made a concerted effort to get him involved. He hasn’t had a target since Week 11 against Dallas but his snaps have gone up by 10% in the past two weeks. There’s also a lot to be said about his ability as a blocker.

There’s little question that Reid can utilize Gray’s skills in Week 16. Even if Kelce and Bell are cleared, with most of the practice repetitions this week, expect him to see more time on the field.

[listicle id=113686]

WATCH: Chiefs rookie TE Noah Gray scores first NFL touchdown

#Chiefs rookie TE Noah Gray caught his first career touchdown against the #Raiders on Sunday Night Football. | from @TheJohnDillon

One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ most underrated 2021 draft picks was fifth-round selection Noah Gray, a tight end from Duke. He didn’t see much action until promising prospect Jody Fortson went down with an Achilles injury against Washington earlier in the season. Now sitting in the third string at the position for the team, Gray caught the first touchdown pass of his career on Sunday Night Football against Las Vegas, coming down with a spectacular grab in the end zone on a goal-to-go situation.

Take a look at the concentration the rookie showed on this play, that put the Chiefs up nine on the road in the third quarter:

Gray’s contributions have been crucial to Kansas City’s success in recent weeks, as the team has tried new strategies to get the better of opponents after some early-season struggles. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce still reigns supreme as the Chiefs’ most consistent target for Patrick Mahomes from the tight end position, but Gray made a good case for more playing time this week.

The rookie had been targeted two times in the game against the Raiders before his touchdown reception but failed to come down with either of the balls thrown to him before the big play. Kansas City will certainly take the points from their newest offensive contributor, and the coaching staff may opt to give him more targets in the red zone if he proves to have a knack for converting on goalline situations.

While Gray is far from a finished product at this point in his career, his involvement in the offense is a reason for optimism moving forward, as the Chiefs look to get back to championship form ahead of the playoffs. With a win tonight they’d sit alone at the top of the AFC West standings, with momentum to spare before their Week 11 matchup against the Cowboys.

[listicle id=110183]

Chiefs rookie TE Noah Gray leaning on Travis Kelce for pointers

#Chiefs rookie TE Noah Gray continues to take cues from TE Travis Kelce, learning the ins and outs of the position as a pro. | from @TheJohnDillon

The Kansas City Chiefs drafted TE Noah Gray in the fifth round back in April, bolstering their depth at the position behind Travis Kelce.

With a little more than half a season under his belt heading into Week 10, Gray told reporters at the team’s Friday press conference that his development is going well, and that his focus on learning from the veterans on the roster has paid dividends.

“I don’t think I can point to any single aspect that have kind of progressed as the time has gone on just because naturally,” Gray said, “I’ve been around these guys longer and have been able to pick their brains longer and been able to figure out what to work on. In the run game, in the pass game, there’s been a lot of stuff that I felt like I’ve definitely progressed and been able to learn from. Just a huge thanks to the other tight ends in the room because without them I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Asked specifically about the benefit of learning from a talent like Kelce on a daily basis, Gray was supremely gracious in his comments. He explained that every facet of the veteran’s skillset shows him new ways to play the position effectively.

“Having Travis Kelce in the room is huge. I’ve always said that I’ve been grateful for that and there’s a lot,” He explained. “You watch a lot of his film, he’s been here for nine-ten seasons so there’s a lot that you can learn from him whether its route running, even in the run blocking game or pass blocking game. There’s a lot that he’s been able to teach me, he does a great job of watching everyone’s reps when we’re on scout team so that’s been really helpful to have an older guy like that be really tuned in to stuff like that.”

An injury to Jody Fortson in Week 6 against Washington set Kansas City up for a potential change of the guard behind Kelce in two and three tight end sets, especially near the goal line. Gray hasn’t quite broken into a role in the offense yet, but if he can continue emulating his world-beating mentor, the opportunity he needs might be closer than some think.

[listicle id=110042]

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce on rookie Noah Gray: ‘He’s going to help us this year’

#Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had high praise for rookie TE Noah Gray on Wednesday, adding to the hype coming out of training camp.

Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce is excited about his new running mate in the tight end room.

Chiefs rookie TE Noah Gray has been one of the early standouts this offseason, receiving praise from Patrick Mahomes, Eric Bieniemy, Andy Reid and now Kelce. It’s rare for a fifth-round pick to receive this amount of hype out of training camp and he’s done a good job to stay grounded and humble throughout.

Kelce, however, is ready to help push the Noah Gray hype train off the tracks.

“Oh yeah, he’s going to help us this year, man,” Kelce told reporters of Gray on Wednesday. “I can’t wait until the world sees what that guy can do, man. He’s doing an unbelievable job of learning this offense. There is so much that you have to do in this offense as a tight end and especially the move guy — and not just the Y tight end — but being the U. Your knowledge, you have be understanding what everyone is capable of doing — the running backs, the wide receivers, the fullbacks. Not only that but (you have to) know the tight end position.”

Gray’s early mastery of the position, from Kelce’s view, has to do with how he’s attacking the playbook since he’s arrived in Kansas City. He also feels that the rookie has done a good job taking coaching and taking advantage of all of his reps. From a bird’s eye view, it appears that Gray is doing everything right when it comes to his preparation.

“I think what Noah (Gray) is doing a great job of is getting in that playbook,” Kelce said. “And being able to go out there on the snap of the ball and play with confidence and play fast. From there, it’s just every rep — every rep you get you learn something. And you can watch other guys and figure out how you want to attack certain defenses with those reps. I think he’s doing a great job of just going to work here in training camp, and then trying to become the best football player he can be.”

Kelce has always had a natural feel for finding the soft spot in coverage. KC Star beat reporter Sam McDowell pointed out that Gray appears to have a similar type of feel for getting open. For Kelce, that natural feel is all about having a good understanding of the game and what the defense is doing on a snap-to-snap basis.

“It’s as simple as understanding the game,” Kelce said. “Understanding what the defense is presenting. When you understand the voids and the zones that they’re in, you understand where to go and where to be and when to be there. I think Noah (Gray) has a great feel for that. It’s something that you can try and teach, but you really have to get somebody that is confident in their ability to go out there and do it, right? That’s what Noah brings to the table — his confidence and his ability to be there and his accountability in that aspect.”

Gray’s confidence and understanding of the game are getting a lot of credit for his early success. Kelce also thinks that Gray’s past experiences playing quarterback — just like his own — gives him a better understanding of where he needs to be to help Patrick Mahomes out the most.

“I think he played a little quarterback in high school,” Kelce said. “Any time you’re back there and you’re reading defenses, you start to feel where you want guys to go, right? I was a quarterback, I wasn’t very good, but I understood where I wanted guys to be versus certain coverages. I think that has naturally just made me more comfortable when I see a certain defense, where I need to be and how I can make it easier on the quarterback to get there.”

Whatever is informing Gray’s rookie breakout, Kelce is excited for the fans in the Chiefs Kingdom to get a chance to see what the young tight end has to offer. It won’t be long now, with the first preseason game just 10 days away for Kansas City.

[listicle id=95815]